Punjab to upgrade refresher courses for teachers

Chandigarh, Dec 26 (UNI) The Punjab government has decided to upgrade the refresher courses for the teaching community.

However, no seminars and refresher courses would be organised during holidays and vacations from the next academic session.

Stating this here yesterday in a meeting with the leaders of various teachers unions, Director General School Education (DGSE) Krishan Kumar said the duration of such seminars and refresher courses would also be shortened to 10 days from 20 days excluding the weekend holidays.

In the meeting, he assured that the promotion cases and the GPF problems of the teaching community would be resolved before March 31, 2008.

The DGSE said the teachers would not be deputed on the non-teaching jobs in the state and orders of the state government in this regard would be implemented with immediate effect.

He also conceded to their demands to grant earned leave in lieu of seminars and refreshers courses to the teachers attending such courses.

The Resource Persons in the Sarv Sikhsha Abhiyan (SSA) would also be recruited at the earliest as a case had already been put up before the government.

Mr said the deduction of 10 per cent gratuity at the time of the retirement of a teacher would not be made at any cost and the case would be discussed with the Vigilance Department in this regard for timely processing of the No Objection Certificates (NOC) of the teachers.

UNI